It’s easy to get Buddha fatigue in Southeast Asia. The temples become routine, the gilt gets old, and eventually even The Awakened One puts you to sleep.
Sukhothai is the cure.
Once the capital of the Siam empire, the ancient kingdom is often overlooked by travelers in a rush to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
I had some time to kill before a friend was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok, so I penciled in a couple days in the city known as the “Dawn of Happiness.” I didn’t do any research about the place. I had no expectations. I just rolled into town, checked into a cheap hostel and rented some wheels.
Check out my sweet ride.
With a poorly photocopied map in hand, I put my mettle to the pedal and rode directly into the thick, warm sock of Thai humidity. Though Sukhothai is home to more than 190 temples, my first stop was Big-Ass Buddha. (Not the official name.)
I still can’t say what attracted me to this particular Buddha. I just knew I had to see it. And I had to get there before busloads of tourists arrived.
I got lucky. When I parked my bike, nobody else was there.
It was silent.
I’m not ashamed to say I cried as I approached the statue.
Have you ever seen something so powerful in its beauty, it’s like you’ve never opened your eyes before? That was this Buddha.
I spent about a half hour there in silence. Then a truckload of Germans arrived, and I pulled my bike off the rack, turned around and moved on — fulfilled.
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